VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

Information for Visitors

Food and Refreshments

You can visit the Veterans Canteen Service for more information about the services they offer.

VCS Patriot Café

Visitors are welcomed to eat in the healthcare system's Canteen cafeterias. We offer hot and cold entrees, beverages and desserts. Vending machines are available for your convenience 24 hours a day.

• University Drive: Ground Floor
• Heinz: Building 51, 1st Floor

Coffee Shops

University Drive's Starbucks^® Coffee Shop is located on the first floor, to the right of Release of Information. A Starbucks^® Coffee Shop is also located on the H.J. Heinz campus on the first floor of the Ambulatory Care Center. Visitors may select from a variety of pastries, light sandwiches, and beverages.

The Stars & Stripes Café - located in the administration building lobby and front entrance of building 50 at H.J. Heinz - is a Veteran-run enterprise that serves gourmet coffees, teas, real fruit smoothies, Danishes and homemade biscotti.

VCS Patriot Store

We offer a full-service retail store with such products as electronics, cosmetics, toiletries, and clothing. Items may be purchased tax-free. The retail store is open to patients, staff, and caregivers.

• University Drive: Ground Floor
• H.J. Heinz: Building 51, 1st Floor

Vending Areas

Vending machines are located throughout the Hospitals.

Police Department

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System has a Police Department. Our officers provide 24-hour patrols of the facility and parking lots. For general police assistance, please dial 412-360-6911. In case of an emergency, dial 911. Report all suspicious or criminal activity, vehicle accidents, and personal property losses to the VA Police while on the facility grounds as soon as possible.

Because VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is Federal property, all persons and bags are subject to search. In addition, no weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs are permitted.

USPS Post Office

A USPS post office is located at the University Drive campus on the ground floor of Building 1. The post office is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to noon (closed on holidays).

Chaplain Service

VA Chaplains protect the patient's right to free exercise of their religious faith and the patient's right to religious privacy. Chaplains support patients' requests for special religious dietary needs and for religious items. VA Chaplains will help facilitate Civilian Clergy visits when requested.

Protestant Worship Services and Catholic Mass are held on a regular basis. Please contact Chaplain Service at 412-822-1551 for additional information or to speak with one of our chaplains.

A nondenominational chapel is located in the following locations:

• H.J. Heinz: Building 51, 1st Floor
• University Drive: Consolidation Building, 2nd Floor

Patient Rights

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) respects the patient's right to make decisions about his or her care, treatment and services, and to involve the patient's family in care, treatment, and services decisions to the extent permitted by the patient or surrogate decision-maker.

'Family' is defined as a group of two or more persons united by blood, or adoptive, marital, domestic partnership, or other legal ties. The family may also be a person or persons not legally related to the individual (such as significant other, friend or caregiver) whom the individual considers to be family. A family member may be the surrogate decision-maker, as defined in VHA Handbook 1004.02, if authorized to make care decisions for the individual, should he or she lose decision-making capacity or choose to delegate decision making to another.

VAPHS allows a family member, friend or other individual to be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of stay. VAPHS allows for the presence of a support individual of the patient's choice, unless the individual's presence infringes on others' rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient's surrogate decision-maker or legally authorized representative.

VAPHS prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.